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New Braunfels Herald Zeitung (Newspaper) - October 16, 1987, New Braunfels, Texas
SportsStrikers will be back, but not this Sunday
NEW YORK (AP) — The NFL players couldn’t win when they walked out and they couldn’t win when they walked in. They ended their strike but not this weekend’s NFL strike games.
The union couldn’t even end the strike the right way. sending the players in on the assumption they could suit up Sunday, then standing helplessly by when the owners told them they’d reported too late and would have to wait another week to play.
“It was like being in a war and losing your bullets.” said Rickey Hunley. player rep of the Denver Broncos “There was nothing left to fight with The bottom was falling out of the situation ”
“It's the end of the Civil War and they’re taking Atlanta.’ said wide receiver Cris Collinsworth of the Cincinnati Bengals. “Let s get the furniture before it bums, too.”
In fact. Gene Upshaw, the union’s executive director, sounded like a man putting his members out of their misery in announcing the official end of the 24-day walkout on Thursday “It was unfair to the players to continue to sacrifice any more." I pshaw said, sending the more than 1.300 players still on strike back to work. and announcing that the union had decided to pursue its aims in an antitrust suit filed in federal court in Minneapolis The return left the union with nothing to show for the walkout except losses — close to $100 million in salaries and a season whose results will be skewed by replacement games Not one of its aims — free agency, pension and severance improvements, guaranteed contracts and on down — w as agreed upon As one league official put it: “If they wanted to go to court, they could have done it Sept I and saved all this trouble "
Moreover, most of the players ended the strike where they began it — on the street after the union miscalculated and ordered them in a day after the week ly deadline for reporting on the assumption it would be waived
For a while, there was mass confusion as teams reported en masse only to be told by coaches and team officials that they couldn’t play this Sunday and would tx’ paid at the per diem rate of only $750 a week for veterans and $500 for rookies if they decided to stick around and practice
The owners insisted that veterans reporting Thurdsay. after more than three weeks off would be running too great a risk of injury if they played Sunday “I think having them here by I p rn Wednesday is a sensible time for the coach to organize and get the players in shape,” said general manager George Young of the New York Giants “Thursday is not a good day especially late in the afternoon They can’t w alk in off the street and expect to play Of course if they got hurt they would say it’s your fault .”
General Manager Jim Finks of the New Orleans Saints said the owners also were wary that without a formal agreement, regulars would go on strike again as s*x>n as replacement players were let go Two teams — the Bears and Raiders agreed to return and practice, and a few scattered players from other teams also took physicals reclaimed their equip ment and worked out But all of those who struck for the duration will in' forced to watch their replacements play again Sunday ret ut ning on Monday or Tuesday to resume their shattered season
“It may be the end of anyone in this country influencing the NFL again,” Collinsworth said "We’re going to tx
Players take battle into the courtroom
MINNEAPOLIS AP' The National Football League Players Association has taken its battle against the owners from the picket line to federal court After negotiations '< r a neve contract collapsed and the play el s union ordered its members to return to work Thursday without an agreement, the NL LPA filed an antitrust suit in I S District Court in Minneapolis claiming the league illegally limits com p e n s a t i o n to pl a vers a n ti monopolizes player talent “We waited to file the suit until today because we hoped the NKI would reach a good faith collective bargaining agreement \N It Buck Briggs staff counsel lot the NFLPA. said Thursday
We onl\ tiled the suit when it
became apparent the league had no intention of reaching an agree ment I assure you that our inten tion was to negotiate an agreement.” Briggs said by telephone from his Washington office
The players could have filed their case in any federal district court, but Minnesota was chosen mainly because the union has hired the Minneapolis law firm of Lindquist Yennum Teams ix’gan reporting back en masse Thursday without a new contract agreement but left after tx'ing told they had missed the deadline to play and get paid for this weekend s games
The suit alleges that the NFL .uid owners conspired to impose a system that illegally restricts compensation paid to players
The Mangement Council ex ecutive committee said in a state ment it would have no comment until it had read the suit The NFLPA became the second sports union to file suit against its league this month The NBA Players Association tiled suit in New Jersey on Oct I against the NBA over tire draft salary cap and right of In st refusal
The NFL defendants compris cif the only major football league in the United States the suit claims 'Together they monopolize and or have combined to conspire ami monopolize both the I’ S market for major league pro football games and the I S market for the servu es for majot league professional foot! all players
left to the mercy and tile good gi aces of th* ow net s of the NTL and well see how we ll bi1 ire.Crc by them
Tin management played hardball and accomplished wfi.it they want ml to do Tfiey busted us up said linebacker Jeff Kohler of the Dallas Cowboys one of many players who seemed lo come out of the strike with deep resentments toward the owners
Some pimple are very vers bitter not just here twat across the country said Harry Carson captain of the Super Bowl champion (Hants It s everyone s opinion ttiat they were out all along lo tiust the union humble the players somewhat Usa little like when vou have a per Min down you grind tm them I think that s what they art try mg to doBeleaguered Cardinals prepare to face Minnesota
MINNEAPOLIS AP > The World Series moved indoors for the first time and injuries followed the crippled St Louis Cardinals into the Metrodome Terry Pendleton is not likely to play against the Minnesota Twins because of rib cage problems. Manager W hitey Herzog said Thursday
• Right now I d say it s doubtful he ll play at all He has torn muscles,’ Herzog said two days before Game I Rookie Joe Magrane another one of St Louis’ walking wounded this year will start
the opener against Frank Viola in a matchup of left handers beneath the orange tinted dome
Herzog made a switch for Game 2. saying Danny Cox would pitch and tx* followed by John Tudor in the third game Bert Blyleven will start Game 2 for the Twins and Les Straker w ill work the third game
The Cardinals, beseiged by injuries this season, are still not expec ting slugger Jack Clark to play Clark out of the starting lineup since Sept 9 with an ankle injury took part in an intrasquad game Thursday night
at the Metrodome as light rune oudoors He went ti-for * with th strikeouts
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Local capsules Beside every good coach...Rebels Rangers
Matchup Hays 4-2 overall. 2-2 in district al Smithson Valiev 5 2 over,. a district), Sp rn Last year Hays 35. Smithson Valley 6
Last week: Hays lost to Samuel Clemens 2**-is Smithson V alley was idle Came notes The Rangers have had a week off to recover (rom their : • ti loss to Clemens while Hays lost to the same team last week Both teams are still in the thick of the playoff hunt but a loss tonight will make it awfully tough for either team Smithson Valley must still play Canyon Tivy New Braunfels and Boerne while Hays must face Canyon Tivy and NR The Rebels have the third hest si oring offense in the district Players to watch Halfback Jason Castillo is a returning all-district player for Hays but the Rebels have a wealth of running talent including halfback Steve Remore fullback Steve Miller and quarterback Derek Mills Hays runs largely from the Wishbone so a lot of pressure will tie placed on Smithson \ alley s outside linebackers and secondary Mike Harmon and Shody Henshaw will dart in the backfield for Smithson Valley The Hanger line will need to fie quicker off the ball than the much larger Rebels
Local usuries Smithson Vales took advantage of its week oil to get healthy Halfback Steve Smith should return to action for the first time in four w«*eks and linemen Brian Markham and Gawain Wet/ should also play
Stands a patient wife who has shared the ups and downsUnicorns Lions
Matchup New Braunfels <3 2 overall. 2 I in district at I Lockhart 2 4 overall ll in district/ Hp rn Last year New Braunfels 47, Lockhart0
Last week New Braunfels beat Boerne 24-22 laxrkhart lost to Kerrville t ivy 4*
15
Game notes New Braunfels finds itself back in the playoff picture with its win over Boerne last week With only a loss to Tivy and games remaining with Fredericksburg. Clemens, Smithson Valley and Hays as well as tonight s contest with the Lions tile Unicorns control their own destiny as far as a playoff spot is con cerned The Lions have always player! New Braunfels tough al home including the Unicorns’ IW2 state semifinalist team Players to watch: E L McIntosh is not only a strong fullback lie also has good speed Tailback Michael Spruiell is the spry tailback Both are tremendous athletes for laxkhart and can break off a long run at any given moment quarterback Bat Natal has a strong arm while flanker J Hess provides good hands and split end David Adams good speed Robert Walker will start at fullback for New Braunfels The Unicorn defense will need to contain the Lions lf the secondary has to make (fie majority of the tackles. New Braunfels may be in trouble Local injuries: Amazingly enough New Braunfels is healthy after last week s
hard fought game with Boerne House Bill 72 clanned one varsity playerCougars Buffaloes
Matchup Canyon • I 5 overall, 0-4 in district > at Samuel Clemens VO overall lo in district I. Hp rn Last year: Canyon 15, Clemens 13
Last week Canyon lost to Fredericksburg 15 14 Clemens defeated Hays 2y 16 Game notes There aren’t many I -5 teams as good as Canyon, but Clemens has achieved a well deserved 5-0 status The Cougars ’254 point underdogs have a strict ly uphill battle facing them and may be somewhat satisfied giving the Buffaloes a run for their money, even if they do fall short The Cougars will try to establish a running game and throw when the situation warrants All parts of the Buffalo defense are tough so the Cougars are just going to line up and run The Buffaloes have a simple Wing T attack occasionally going to the I formation, and rely on sheer power and good execution Players to watch Watch for Buffaloes fullback John Zammiello He is the focal point of the Clemens rushing game Frank Garcia is the Buffaloes game breaker on special teams, at free safety and at wingback Tile < ougars would like a big game from backs Kelly Mulhollan and Chad Austin to control the game and keep the ball out of the Buffaloes possession
Local in lur lot: No new injuries to report although four players, including two starters, have been lost to House Bill 72
By TIM WAITS Stall Writer
Ttie final seconds have ticked off tile clock tile interrogation from sportswTiters is finished and tin* last player lias tiled out of the bn ker room The I lead coach who has spent hours upon flours preparing his team foi the game finally < an spend tune va uh his partner his wife And vice versa All three area head football coaches wives .lame Streety Dolores Burch and Beth Matulich are intelligent attractive women who took a few minutes out of their own busy schedules to talk about tilt* rigors of tx*mg a coach s wile strt-ety and Burch have tieen in New Braunfels collectively more than to years sharing tin* ups and clowns of the I nicorns and ('ougars respectively While tin* Matulich s have been at Smithson \ alley (inly two years Beth lias been tile coach s wife for almost lh never staying in one town more than three years
I don t think anybody really knows what they are getting into when they marry a coach said Burch who has I teen married to Troy the C anyon Cougars mentoi since p#»3 “I vt* always been iii volved in sports I am athletically minded I suppose you would say
I think the thing I had to learn coming from louisiana to Texas is there's a much greater emphasis in Texas on football and there's pro badly more pressure on coaches,” said Burch “From my experience the coach always had a stable job You never thought they might get fired or whatever ”
When tilt* Burches met at Noi thwestern University, Troy was on crutches with a broken ankle Bm* result of a football injury sustained while playing there It may not has* been a coincidence that Dolores was in nurses training school at the time She now does nursing work lot Hospice New Braunfels and runs th* family snow cone stand at the cor lier of I Ilion and San Antonio streets (which is closed for the winter >
Nursing and being a coach s wife seems to go hand rn hand, as Beth Matulich is also a nurse, working at Mountain V alley Elementary School rn Sattler She met Joe Matulich the Smithson V alley Rangers’ coach, while they were attending Texas Tech Beth transferred to Baylor to attend nursing school hut the two kept the phone lines busy during their college days.
Joe, who quarterbacked the Red Raiders, was to play in the annual
'I decided if I wanted to see him, I would have to go and be with him at the game.'
Beth Matulich
Janie Streety (left) Beth Matulich l enter) and Dolores Burch (right) have all found that staying active is a prerequisite for marrying an athletic director (Photo by Deryl Clark)
Blue Gray all Mar game I ti* game hapjxned to tx* scheduled tor the same day on which he and Beth were planning to tx* married He passed up the game and has lived happily ever after with Beth and their two sons Jet) and Ben
"Ile gut fits first coaching job at Roosevelt and we half just had our first baby t Jeb who was about four weeks old, and J*x- was gone alt the tune,” she said It was a real shock I decided if I wanted to see him. I would have to go and tx* with him at the game
Janie married Jim Streety her freshman year at Southwest Texas State University while in* wa a senior
"When he was going to college and being around other coaches, I guess I realized ail the hours they put into coaching,” she said “ll
never has bothered me that im* s gone We ve always tx*en so husv I vt* always worked
He’s home when he ran tx* horn* lh* s very family oriented said Janie ol tier husband They have two children. Steven. B* and Kimtx‘1 12
New Braunfels has lx***n good to us We’ve had winning teams We’ve just lx*en fortunate Streety moved up here it could have been sonic otliei place bul it was here Janie a fust grade teachei at Live Oak in the Judson School District refers to her husband only by his surname Asked why she said simply, I was introduced to turn as Street) And his friends call him Streety His family calls him Bubba “
The drawbacks of fx*mg a coachs wife include not just Bx* many hours
spent at bai! game* or waiting up af horn*- Pix* wive* must also sit in Dx* stands and listen lo peupu* curse at afxl i utilize their husbands Most of Btesc insults *k> not fillet down to Bx- sidelines txit Bx*v do burn Blears of the wive*
I try to ignore it and mo*: of u»e time I can said Burch I trv to understand that a kg of times pet* pie perhaps are not so much veiling at Troy as tlx-y are just getting frustration.* oft tiieir > hest In essen* e Bx*v may tx- veiling at their txrs* I ti v to think that
I have to admit that Blere are some tunes when I get angr v or upset arui I may *av something I try to calmly explain what * hap jx'tung six* said \ ou have to fry to understand ttiat jwstple gel emu ttonal .md vou just have to sit Blere arui pretend you lion t hear ) *>u just gear your mind to tlx* game Burch san! slie felt ii av mg her own i hildren go through sctuiol gave tier a broader jw*r*jx*vlive of what olfx*r parents are feeling
Listening to or (tearing any criticism is Bx- hardest part of tx* mg a coach s wife said Mutulk ii “That x tough twvause I know how hard Im* works and bow much time he has invested with Bx* kid* But Bx* laird lias lielped me with that anti I feel a lot bedel Street) has a different view ut the fans reactKHi to coaching decisions It rkx*sn t higher me six* said I ve known other coaches’ wive* that it <ioes ttother but my husband says the) pa) g*xxl murk*) to come to s4*e a football game and to enjoy it I don t feel like they mean anything by it And where I xx I don t even hear it anymore ”
Of Bx* three, only Matulich admit* to occasionally offering tier own ad Vue as to what tier husband might do on the sideline* However most of tier suggestions fail on deaf ears “(Joe doesn t listen I told turn I tiad a vision of a play the other night six* said “He never asked me what it was "
Butch stresses independence as a must for coaches wives "V ou have to learn to be mdepen dent lf you re not you’re in trou hie When you have young children
Sec WIVES, Page MA
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